The present invention relates to walking, jogging and exercising apparatus for home use, and more particularly, to an inexpensive reversible walking slide mill that offers at least two walking or jogging exercise routines in a comfortable fashion that is light weight, has a small foot print and is collapsible for easy storage.
Tread mills are well known and expensive. Tread mills allow people to walk, jog, run and sprint on a stationary machine typified with an endless driven belt moving over a set of transverse parallel pulleys or rollers. Tread mills allow the users to exercise inside and unexposed to harsh elements outside in inclement weather. Additionally, tread mills allow users to exercise in the privacy of their own home while perhaps watching television, listening to the radio or even reading.
Tread mills require electricity to drive motors that rotate conveyors upon which a person may walk or jog. With the drive motors off, the conveyor or belt will not move due to friction. The conveyors are often elevatable and adjustable in speed. These tread mills are heavy and require a large horizontal and vertical foot print for operation. They do not lend themselves to easy movement about a dwelling, are generally not collapsible with rigid handles and do not easily storage out of sight when not in use. Treat mills also require maintenance for the motors, rollers, bearing and conveyor adjustments.
Non-motorized treat mills have generally not been commercially successful. While these types of tread mill may be less expensive due to the lack of motors, they are more difficult to operate requiring the user to shift forwardly and rearwardly his center of gravity as to drive and stop the conveyor. Alternatively, the conveyor must be inclined and designed to move under the feet of the user. They also may require elaborate bearing systems and fly wheels to minimize drag and friction as to allow the user to steadily drive the belt.
At least one slide mill in known in U.S. Pat. No. 2,842,365. This slide mill is of a general box-like construction and generally of a U-shape or concave half cylinder from a side view that requires a properly selected lubricant, such as powdered Borax. Fixed forwardly mounted handles are utilized. Front to rear grooves are utilized to try to prohibit the feet from sliding off the box. This slide mill is still bulky with rigid handles and has generally been undesirable.
There is a need for an inexpensive light-weight, molded plastic reversible slide mill with adjustable handles that offers two slippery walking terrains, adjustable moving handles, offers isolated and safe foot paths for each foot, independent shock absorption for each foot, and is readily collapsible for easy shipping, storage or transportation.